A special cycle on the machine just for us celiacs? Wow! I have an old bread machine which I never, ever use anymore. When first diagnosed in 1997, I was told I HAD to have one or else I'd never have bread again. We've come a long way, baby! Whole Foods and their special gluten-free bakery had made such a difference, along with many other manufacturers of gluten-free breads! I have to admit, though, that right about now I'm hankering after that new machine of yours! :)

My birthday is next Friday, the 15th, and reading through your cake archives not only made me starving, but made me want to spend the entire weekend in the kitchen baking. Thank goodness I found your site!!

Too get rid of the hole in the middle of the bread, I read somewhere that you can remove the paddle (the thing that makes the hole) after the mixing cycle is finished. It sounds like a good idea! I haven't tried this yet and had just been using the weird shape pieces as halves for dipping in soup.

Karina, thank you so much! I added the bread machine to my wish list instantly. I can't wait. I also want to mention, there are several fabulous cake mixes out there made by Namaste. The spice cake, which can easily be converted to carrot cake, is to die for. The chocolate cake and brownie mix is also great. They make a muffin and pizza crust mix as well. My friends and family prefer the spice cake and revolt when I don't make it.Thanks for all your posts.

Does anyone know how this machine compares to the Zojirushi that's generally recommended for GF loaves? If they're comparable it seems like a no-brainer to spend one-third the price. (I'm now baking for 4 celiacs in my household, all of us diagnosed in 3/06. My 2 sisters & my mom have been gf for a 3 years now and had given up on good bread.)

We made our first Pamela's loaf late last in the same bread machine. I'm so happy with it - I like how it's slightly sweet and doughy ans soft. My non-GF boyfriend says this is definitely the best sandwich-style bread he's ever had, if not best bread ever. It was so strange to be able to share a drink or eat off his plate without fear!

I think this would make a great challah (or even cinnamon/cinnamon raisin challah) if you followed the directions for making the bread by hand or even the roll directions and then put the rolls in zig-zag style to get a pull-apart-style challah. I'm also considering seeing if this mix is adaptable to making bagels.

I think that honey would work well for the pull-apart-challah, but I wouldn't know how much to add - suggestions? It shouldn't need much because it's already sweet and doughy; for me, I think that using the sweet bread directions would result in too sweet of a challah. I might also add a smidgen - maybe 1/2 of a teaspoon - of cinnamon. Alternatively, following the herb bread directions could make a nice savory challah that would dip well into chicken soup.

Hi Michelle! What a fab post about the pull-apart challah. I am definitley going to try converting that idea to gluten-free. I used to make [if I do say so] delicious challah. Sniff. Thanks for that link.

I made the Pamela's mix yesterday [in the bread machine] with cinnamon and golden raisins. I added two tablespoons of honey. It turned out good - very good - but - I think next time I might use brown sugar instead. The honey made the loaf more dense [and I prefer light and fluffy].

karina, a veritably sexy loaf of bread considering it has no gluten in it! i'm impressed. but then what else would you get when you stick it in an über sexy stainless steel bread machine like that?! :) i'm very impressed.

Hi Karina, thanks for your blog and it's information. I bought the one you have today from esalton.com directly after trying to get it from the link you gave to Amazon. Their vendor couldn't get it here and so cancelled the order. I went to Target and found a Breadman that is also stainless with a GF cycle for $99.00, brought it home and then remembered your blog and realized it wasn't the same one AND read such bad reviews about that model that I promptly returned it to Target and ordered the one you have. Can't wait until it gets here. Did you use the instructions on the Pamelas bag and set it to Basic White Bread or use the GF cycle instead?

Hi Sharon! Good detective work. I hope you enjoy the machine. I really like it. I made Pamela's basic white bread [mix] in it - shown in the photograph above - using the Gluten Free Cycle. GF bread doesn't need the extra time required by doughs with gluten.

I've made a yummy "rye" bread with it, and cinnamon-raisin, too, all using Pamela's mix as the base. Will post my recipes soon.

Thanks for a great article! I am thinking of getting the bread machine, particularly to have a fresh-baked loaf in the morning.

However I downloaded the manual and it discourages using the timer feature with spoilable items such as milk or eggs (which are used in Pamela's bread mix). So I was wondering if you had found any recipes without eggs?

If you choose the GF cycle, the machine automatically sets the loaf size at 1.5 pounds. This has not proved to be a problem for me. Yesterday I made a loaf with Pamela's using warm lactose-free milk instead of water - and it turned out perfect. Delicious.

Good luck - and please feel free to post back any results/comments on the bread machine post to share with our readers.

I tried the pumpkin bars over the holidays. Needless to say, they were a great hit and I didn't even frost them. I used to keep glutinous snacks for the rest of my family and my stuff separately, but everyone wants what I make for myself so I go through a lot of alternative flours. I want to try the pumpkin/cornmeal muffins next. I have exactly the right amount of canned pumpkin left from the pumpkin bars!

My youngest son bought me the bread maker for Christmas; what a surprise! It's great to have loaves of bread again though I noticed that the batter needs extra stirring; my bread machine doesn't seem able to get it mixed thoroughly from top to bottom. Did this happen for you?

I have a wonderful cake recipe I adapted from an Italian cookbook; would you like a copy? It's made in a springform pan and has sliced apples on top. My daughter-in-law requests this for her birthday.

Thanks again for sharing everything you do with us. I check in with your blog every day!

Sometimes I do scrape down some extra flour from the sides inside the loaf pan with a silicone spatula [before it bakes, as it's mixing]. The last loaf I made was fine, and it wasn't necessary. I'm wondering if how we layer the flour mix makes a difference?

I'd love the apple cake recipe - I will attribute to you, of course, if I write about it.

Thank you so much for posting about this machine! I just purchased it and am now eagerly awaiting its arrival. Hopefully I can retire my pan and spoon. My son has several food allergies 3 of which are wheat, rye and barley (along with egg, milk, and peanut) so we only do gluten free baked goods for him. This will make things so much easier. I'm so glad that I have found your site. You have some wonderful recipes and I can easily adapt them for his other allergies. Thanks again.

Hi Karina,I made the first loaf using the GF cycle and it turned out too doughy and dense, almost like it wasn't cooked enough. Maybe since we're in FL and it's humid here *although it's winter now* I will reduce the amount of water shown on the bag instructions. Going to try another loaf tomorrow and see how I make out. I guess it's all experimentation with GF bread.

I'm in Seattle and I had the same problem with my Pamela's mix in the Breadman machine on the GF cycle - it turned out too doughy. I tried the same mix on the White Bread setting and it turned out slightly more cooked, but still pretty dense. Maybe third time's the charm? I'll try playing with the liquid.I also use Pamela's bread mix for pizza crust the other day and it was pretty good, though the dough is SUPER sticky and it was hard to spread it out very thin. I added the Italian herbs and parmesean cheese as suggested. The crust at the edge was crispy and tasted great, but the slices in the middle were pretty heavy. I might try a smaller pizza next time.-Erin

I was wondering if you think that this RecipeZaar recipe for making pretzels using a bread machine would work with Pamela's mix and the Breadman. Here is the link: http://www.recipezaar.com/45567Specifically, would you use a white bread setting or the gf setting and would you change any of the instructions? Also, I would love to hear about your variations on the basic Pamela's bread recipe: cinnamon, raisins, caraway/ryeless, milk instead of water, sweeteners, challah, etc. - how much of the ingredient did you use, how it turned out, tips for next time, etc. Thanks!

Hmmm. It sounds intriguing. I just got back into playing with GF bread, after not pursuing it for a couple of years, so I'm no expert on it. Still learning. ;-)

Glancing at the recipe I'd say you could use the bread machine [on either setting] to mix the dough, or use a standing mixer. I'd tend toward a standing mixer, I think. Just keep the dough covered and warm for rising.

GF dough is sticky and not really stretchy like wheat dough, so rolling it into a rope will prove a challenge.

I wonder if pulling pieces of dough, shaping [with GF floured hands] and sticking them together might work? Or forming single pretzel rods [like breadsticks]?

As for variations - I made a yummy ryeless rye with Pamela's by adding caraway seeds, molasses, and cocoa powder. Not sure where I got the amounts...and I didn't write it down. [Sorry!] But I will make it again and I will post about it. Authentic Foods makes a rye flavor you can add to any bread - it's pretty close.

Pamela's has instructions [on the bag] for making cinnamon raisin bread; I followed her tips, but added the raisins near the very end of the mixing cycle so they wouldn't break apart; and I let it bake in the machine. It turned out well, but I want to experiment with more raisins and more cinnamon, maybe with a spoonful of brown sugar. When I do, I'll post.

I haven't been making much bread lately - so this talk is making me crave some!

I just tried my first loaf this weekend with my new Breadman & Pamela's mix. First off - I noticed the mix made a 2lb loaf, and the GF setting only does 1.5 - so from some online reading I decided to just try it out anyway on the GF setting to see what happened.

It did not come out looking like your picture - it was dense & doughy. Do you think it didn't cook long enough? What setting do you use? Super Rapid? I think I'll just need to play with it a bit - any tips? THANKS!!

I used the GF cycle. Because I live at high altitude, I used 2 tablespoons less liquid. You might try that. This tip also works if you live in a humid environment [flours will absorb moisture from the air].

The first Pamela's bread I made came out dense and doughy as well. Since I haven't baked with yeast much, I didn't think and plopped eggs straight from the 'fridge into the "warm" water. The next time I made sure the temperature of ALL liquids was +/- 100 degrees before going into the bread pan (with a thermometer.) The results were much better!

Hey thanks Junior - excellent tip! I have been experimenting with different bread mixes & recipes since that first loaf & I realized I did the same thing! I put the ingredients right from the fridge! Now I know better!

When I make Pamela's bread mix in this Breadman on the gf cycle, I wind up with the middle much larger and taller - where the dough ball was the biggest. After the machine is done mixing, do you suggest taking a spatula and spreading it out to be more even? Your version looks perfect and doesn't seem to have this problem. Can you also describe what you do when the bread is done - do you leave it open to cool down a bit, do you turn it over so it falls out, how do you let it cool, do you slice everything right away or does this make it dry out, etc. Thank you! [CM]

When I peeked in during mixing I noticed the sides of the pan still had a little flour stuck to them so yes, I reached in with a very small rubber spatula and softly scraped the flour off and onto the dough. That helped. [It doesn't happen every time...?]

When the loaf is baked, I remove the hot pan immediately [using a potholder to grab the handle] and place the bread pan on a wire rack to cool.

I let it sit for maybe 15 minutes until it is cool enough for me to handle [though it is still very warm] and I lay it sideways.

Using a rubber spatula I loosen the sides of the bread from the pan - this is easy to do as it is non-stick.

I then shake the pan a bit and turn it upside down and catch the bread with a clean towel.

My husband is the one who is better at removing the blade from the bottom of the loaf. He uses [again] the small rubber spatula to slide it out.

There will be an indent in the bottom of the loaf when you remove the paddle.

I allow the bread to cool completely before I slice it with a good sharp bread knife [serrated].

I store two slices in one zip-lock sandwich bag, with a piece of wax paper between them. I place the sandwich bags into a large freezer bag and freeze.

Usually I keep some fresh bread out to enjoy right away. I store this portion in a plastic storage bag.

I noticed that the Pamela's bread mix bag says to make the raisin bread my hand (not a bread machine). Have you made it in a bread machine - if so, how? Did you make any other changes (like milk or sugar) and how much cinnamon did you use?

I made the Pamela's mix with cinnamon and golden raisins, following her basic guidelines.

For sweetener, I added two tablespoons of honey. It turned out good - but not great - I think next time I might use brown sugar instead. The honey made the loaf more dense [and I prefer light and fluffy].

I did it all in the machine. I added the raisins at the end of the GF mixing cycle. They were fine [they didn't break apart].

So if you can stay nearby and add the raisins in near the end of mixing, you can do it in the machine, like I did.

Found your website... I'm bookmarking it.. I was diagnosed only yesterday with Celiac. I have 3 kids under 4 years of age and I cannot tell you how emotional it has been for me.. although, I'm sure when you all got your news it was no less devastating. Everything I loved in life has been stripped away in about 2 minutes on the phone, but after reading your stuff here I have something to look forward to.. I just hope my wife and kids can be accepting of this big change (which is my biggest fear).

I ordered the bread machine & a 6 pack of Pamela's bread mix the moment I read your blog. I made 3 loaves of bread (2 of Pamela's) the first 3 days I had the machine, & used all the hints on this site (room temp., less water, etc.).I threw them all out--terribly underdone. After the first, I used the bake cycle & our regular oven to cook longer, but it didn't help. Finally I used the 'dough' & 'bake' cycles with Pamela's mix & got great results. I notice there's no rest time in the auto GF cycle, but your bread succeeds without it. Any suggestions? I'll probably return the machine unless I'm doing something wrong.Thank you.

-Put my eggs in warm water for at least 30 minutes before starting-I use lukewarm water (never tried milk)-Make sure you are being super-exact with your measurements-Try using 2 T less water/milk since apparently my Boston apartment is humid

Thank you, M & Karina. I live in the Chicago area--no elevation here! I used warm eggs & 1/2 cup warm lactose-free milk (replaced 1/2 cup water) & tried to measure carefully. After the first loaf I omitted the 2 T of water. Now that I've eaten all of my loaf (made on 2 separate cycles), I found the middle of it is a bit doughy (underdone) but most of it was tasty.

Question for Karina (& anyone else): why would this machine's GF cycle work WITHOUT a rest cycle that's part of all hand-mix directions? My 2 cycle solution is mainly what's different from the GF cycle.

Question for many previous posters: Have you figured out how to solve the problem of underdone bread that many of us have experienced?Thx.

Truth be told, I never read the hand mix directions because I purchased the mix to use in the bread machine.

I'm wondering if using a regular cycle [with the rest/rise] would work better with this mix? Maybe.

If I have a package on hand, I'm going to try it [though I am at high altitude, so breads are notoriously finicky here]. If anyone tries this experiment, please post back your results.

I made a from-scratch gluten-free rye bread in the machine this week - and it rose beautifully, but collapsed at the very end. This may be a high altitude issue. Luckily, it didn't effect the taste or texture, just the shape. When I know for sure that the recipe works, I'll post it.

I am coming in late, so this may have already been said, but regarding the paddle messing up those 2-3 pieces: I just take the paddle out after it mixes, but before it bakes. I just make a point to listen for it to finish and then I reach in and pull it out! End result is a beautiful loaf of bread with no wrecked up pieces from the paddle! My Bread Machine Ultima works great for gluten free bread, but I want one that says Gluten Free on it! Maybe I just need a bumper sticker for my old beast of a bread maker..."I cook gluten free" Love the updates from you! (as always)warmly-Laura

If you stop back - I wanted tell you about the results of an experiment I did.

I made a dough from scratch [enough for a 2-pound loaf] and - as you suggested - used first the Dough cycle [to mix and rise], then a separate Bake cycle for a two-pound size loaf. I chose the Dark crust setting.

It turned out PERFECT. The tallest, best formed loaf yet.

So now I'm thinking: a smaller dough amount is necessary for the Gluten-Free Cycle on this machine to work [because it presets the loaf size at 1.5 pounds].

So if you have a mix or a recipe with a larger size dough, split the two cycles as I did. It works like a charm.

I just bought the Breadman machine, the Pamela's bread mix and made my first loaf. It came out very soggy. Mix says to set machine for 2 lb. loaf, but the GF setting is preprogrammed for 1.5 lbs. Anyone else have this problem? Any suggestions?

Karina, I'm glad I did stop back, & I also have an update on the breadmaker. But first, I'm so sorry you're dealing w/so many medical issues. How did so many toxins get into your body?I called the co. that makes the bread machine & was told that on the GF cycle I should be able to change the loaf size. I was also told that they had no reports of underdone bread on the GF cycle!If, as promised, they send me a prepaid shipping label so 'they can take a look at my machine', I'm going to print & include the comments from this blog relevant to the breadmaker, as I continue to get underdone bread on the GF cycle. I'm also going to send one Pamela's bread mix & suggest they use it & see the results.

I was diagnosed with a chronic illness 9 months ago and there are tons of foods I can no longer tolerate. A doctor of pharmacology who's working with me suggested I try giving up gluten. I was Google searching recipes and stumbled on this website...and I was intrigued by the discussion around the Breadman bread maker. I have a Zojirushi programmable bread maker and I keep trying both Pamela's & GF Pantry's mixes and so far I've been less than impressed with the results. I do confess I have not tried to program the machine, and I'm wondering if anyone knows how I should program it for these GF package breads? Secondly, when researching the Breadman machine, I saw someone wrote in that these package mixes won't work well on the GF cycle because that's designed for 1.5 lb loafs and the package is measured for 2 lb loaves. Is this true, and if so how do you accomodate? Thank you so much for your site! It may end up being a God-send for me (still struggling to make the dietary adjustments that go along with IC).

My Pamela's mix was completely underdone as well! I can't figure out what I did wrong - but I will definitely try the dough/bake cycle today when I get home. How interesting that all have had such mixed results with something that seems (and should be!) so simple.

One question though - how long do you bake the bread on the BAKE cycle? The instruction manual says you can time it for as long as you like.

Hi Karina- great site!I have been using my Cuisinart bread machine with great results (and using a scratch recipe which I would happily share!), but one problem!My loaf seems to rise beautifully, then sinks in the center as it bakes. Any thoughts?Thanks!!

I just bought a new bread machine this weekend, i have yet to try it. But what attracted me was that it had a gluten free cycle! not to mention a low-carb and jam cycle too:) It's the cuisinart® Convection Bread Maker. It got great reviews in consumer report and it looks pretty!

Are you interested in gluten free, soy free English muffins? I made some for a friend of mine and they are AWESOME! I put raisins in some and toasted with cream cheese...well, you'd think you'd died and gone to heaven! And I don't have worry about gluten or any other food allergies, but I'm going to make these for ME. I'll send the recipe or post it or whatever it takes if you (or anyone) would like it. Aside from being yummy, they're easy, but you do need an electric griddle or frying pan 'cause they're not baked. Linda

Nope, no eggs, which is nice because my friend can't have eggs. I emailed you the recipe since I didn't know if there'd be room on here. It's not vegan since I don't know anything about that, but I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to substitute since the only changes I made were to substitute rice flour for regular flour and use butter instead of shortening because she can't have soy, either. They don't rise quite as high as "real" English muffins, but the taste is wonderful...especially with raisins and toasted with cream cheese (hey, I'm not vegan and have no food allergies. LOL)

English muffin notes: For those of you who have to avoid gluten, these muffins would work for sandwiches, hamburger buns, garlic toast, stuffing and lots of other uses. The cost is minimal. I made 2 batches with a 24oz bag of rice flour...$2.89 and 2 packets of yeast, 67c, so for 14 3 1/2" muffins the cost is around $3.00 (there's about a cup of flour left over so you can get ALMOST 3 batches from the small bag. Even assuming some of you need to substitute something else for the powdered milk, there aren't that many other substitutions to increase the price drastically.

Please read through the comments- as there are differences in experiences using a bread mix with this machine.

To play it safe, I'd use the manual cycle for the 2 lb. loaf (Pamela's mix is larger than the preset 1.5 lb loaf size for the GF cycle). Although this wasn't a problem for me at high altitude, in the desert, it was, for some.

I just wanted to note that this breadmaker is down to $59.99 again, after being at least $20 more for quite some time. Plug for Karina: Get it through her Amazon store. I have had very good following the mix cycle and then separate bake (not gf) on 2lb settings with the Pamela's bread mix as long as I use room-temperature eggs and measure exactingly. Happy holidays, everyone!

Love your blog! Made my first lovely loaf of Pamela's in my bread maker. Used the 1 1/2 pound light white bread setting, warmed the eggs and water. It came out beautiful. I think it was a fluke because every one since then has come out flat...about 2 inches below the edge of the pan. Hmmmm. how do I get that lovely muffin top back. Nicole

I'm so happy to have stumbled on this site Karina. The contributors' info is invaluable.

My partner (age 55) has been on every diet imaginable and recently stumbled on one which recommends going GF. So GF is a choice, not a requirement.

I've been baking bread since 1973 when I got a Kitchen Aid mixer with a dough hook. Since then I've been "hooked" on home-baked bread. When friends/family are a bit out of sorts a pot of hot chicken soup or beef stew with a big honkin' warm loaf of French bread - well, you get the picture.

GF baking is a new challenge. I tasted some of the GF bread she bought. It's right down there with Wonder bread (which seems better suited to be papier mache paste).

After much mental kicking and screaming I promised, for her b'day (12/3), to learn to make edible, even tasty, GF bread.

So I bought her (ok, ok me) a new Breadmaker machine. I bought the boxy $20-more machine because it also does pizza dough. Some of the reviews were scary but I'm wired to be eternally optimistic.

Baked first loaf yesterday from Red Mill - a hearty grain mix ???Anyway, it's something she picked up at one of the "Job Lots". From all the "didn't work" stories I figured it would turn out to be a boat anchor. NOT!

It was terrific!. Someone, somewhere, recommended setting the machine to the Wheat bread rapid cycle and letting it stay past the done cycle to the warm cycle to be sure the center was baked.

Ok, so I had to surgically remove the paddle but my motto is form follows function.

Has anyone used Red Mill GF mixes? I'm going to continue to experiment and very happy to share success/failure re: machines and mixes and look forward to the same.

I just bought and brought home the Breadman. I found it at Linen and Things and I had a 20% off coupon to boot. I am going to try the brown rice bread mix from Really Great Food Company. It makes a 2 lb. loaf, so I think I will try the Dough and Bake settings. Also we really like the Pamella's chocolate cake and brownie mixes. I use the cake recipe on the brownie mix for a 9 inch cake. I use the Lactaid milk in my recipes too.Nadine

I've read through the comments and might have missed this. I'm hoping someone has a GF/egg free machine recipe. I've got a Zojirushi that I can program to do whatever, but I'm not sure what all to program in for GF. Thanks for any help. www.homeschoolblogger.com/Hediedforme

this msg is too long. read one line per week. here all my comments for jan, feb, and march 2008. how cool is that?

HOMAGE TO THE GFGthe puzzled dad/default GF chef in the family is new in this. but with a GF Goddess like Karina at the helm, i got a hunch we'll all be reaching GF theosis status sooner than we think.

BREADMAN'S PROS & CONSmy sweatheart got me this one as a xmas gift. the GF setting was the bait.

after reading ALL the comments on this blog and the problems reported i had a divine revelation:

(don't worry. your pamela's 2LB loaf mix won't overflow. it just needs to bake longer. if it does, rejoice! open lid and attack the dough poking with chopsticks. you can then attack me or call 911).- use the mfr recommended water/milk temperature between 110-115 F but whisk all liquids together before adding.- add all dry ingrediends (except yeast) without packing or scooping. rather spoon them on the measuring cup (see manual, page 13).- top with the recommended yeast type (quick rise) per loaf size.- follow all steps up to step 12, page 18. when the unit beeps ready don't take out the bread pan yet. let it beep while you check for doneness.

I can't seem to get the Pamela's mix to work right in my bread machine. It doesn't have a specific gluten-free cycle, so I'm using the basic cycle, but it seems too moist. I've reduced the water by two tablespoons, and I'm not sure whether to keep reducing the water or try to adjust the cycle (I can input my own "homemade" cycle into this machine, just not sure what I need to do differently). Anyone have any suggestions?

Hi Mary- Did you read through the above comments- lots of hints. I ended up using the manual cycle for 2 lbs and it baked better. But the slices in my photo are from my first attempt- used GF cycle- no alterations- came out perfect. So.

GF Dad above gives some excellent tips to try.

Don't give up- it may just be a humidity thing. Try using less water; baking longer.

Tonight I tried my first loaf using Gluten Free Pantry Favorite Sandwich Bread Mix. I followed GF Dad's suggestions. For the first time using it, I suppose it is not too horrid. While the bread was not underdone, it was weirdly dense. Not just heavy, but almost like the bread was compressed. Heh, it was also lopsided. Beautiful crust, though. I am going to have to try again soon. I have the GF Pantry French bread mix and I went to Whole Foods today to buy a bunch of flours to try making my own mix. I am hoping that will help since the recipes will be for 1.5 lbs loaves.

I got this machine after diagnosis in November. I have the Pamela's down to a science! Best that I have tried. I use 3 eggs, 1/4 c. melted butter, 3/4 c. water and 1/2 cup milk. whisk slightly to break yolks, throw in the baking mix with 1/4 c. sugar and yeast and use the #4 sweet bread cycle. Takes longer, but my house smells so good for a much longer time!! Always get a perfect loaf.

Hi, this is my first post here and I must say Karina, I LOVE your site! I have been struggling with Gluten-Free living for about 4 months now. I feel 100% better but I am running out of foods to eat. Bread is a staple I can't live without and the suff thats out there is not yummy! I want to try the Pamelas but I also watch my weight. What I need to know is what can I substitue in the recipe. Can I use egg white in place off whole eggs? Can I substitue the oil with anything that is not so high in fat and calories? I am used to counting points and being able to have 2 slices of bread for only 1pt.Thanks :)

Hi Meri- Welcome! I have not experimented with the Pamela's mix and subbing. You might try going to Pamela's website and looking at her baking tips. She offers specific advice on how to work with her mixes.

In general- if you are going to substitute egg whites for whole eggs, and lighter oil for butter, etc, you will impact the flavor and texture of the end product. Don't be discouraged- it takes a few experiments to find what works for you personally, and your particular taste buds.

Read through comments, also. There is a lot of great baking advice from readers.

And check out my post Karina's Baking Tips. Look for it in the left side bar.

I also have the Cuisinart convection breadmaker- and it is wonderful. Its Gluten-Free cycle ( which is of course why I bought it) works- with options for 1.5 or 2 lb loaf, as well as choices for lighter/darker crust.I make my bread from scratch, as I figure if I have to spend almost as much for the mix as I would a ready made loaf, it almost defeats the purpose-(almost!).That said, my favorite recipe uses rice flour and tapioca starch, and my adaptation includes ground flax. I also recently discovered that substituting 1 part teff flour for 1 part rice flour results in a lovely "rye-esque" flavour!! BTW, my non-GF children(so far anyway) LOVE this bread, which is really saying something- it is great bread, that you can't tell is gluten free!Thanks again Karina, for the wonderful blog!!

So I have just found out that wheat/gluten is not for me! I am struggling with the rice food and bread! I am planning to make some gluten free bread in the next few days and just hoping that it tastes much better than the rice bread you get at the healthfood stores. I can't say I am much of a fan of the texture of the bread! Is the bread that is discussed above any better or is there a different reciepe that will have more of the same texture as 'real' bread. Please help....i miss yummy toast and jam in the mornings! :(

Hey everyone thanks for all the tips and Karina you're a lifesaver! My gf son hates the bread and wants the rasin cinnimon kind thats over $5 a loaf! Looking for a gf bread machine stumbled on your site and made my life a lot better. Now he can have any bread!!

I am now awaiting my Breadman, It will be a gift from a friend. I already have my Pamela's Amazing Wheat Free bread mix and re-read this entire page to take notes so that I can make my first attempt the best it can be... LOL!!

I have also wrote down a few alterations I will attempt in making it low fat and lower calorie. I'm going to keep notes on my success/failures so that I can post here what I found.

I also need to look around your site a bit because I remember seeing a flour mixture in case I want to make the bread mixture myself. The reason for this would be so that I could have more control in the caloric content. I like you cannot have any bean flours, I found this out when using an all purpose flour that contained bean flour and I suffered with sharp gas pains up in my shoulders and chest for many many hours.

I finally did it, I made my first loaf of bread in my breadman! I did do my homework and take notes from this page so I was prepared! I used the Pamela's Amazing, followed the ingredient instructions but where it said 1/4 cup of oil I used 3T of unsweetened applesauce and 1T of canola oil to reduce the fat. Everything else I did exact. I first used the Dough setting, when it was done I used the Bake setting set for 2lb loaf at the Dark setting. At the end of 1 hour it beeped, I put in a tester and it was still gummy, I reset the bake for another 1 hour cycle but I checked it every 5 mins. The outside was beautiful and crusty but even after 1 hour and 17 mins the inside was still a tad bit gummy. When cooled I sliced a few pieces and toasted them to make less gummy. Tasted so yummy! Just made a little gummy stuff on my toaster oven grill. This loaf is definately not a throw away, it is perfectly edibile when toasted!!! Yea!!! I am happy that my first is not a total disaster :)

Now from what I have read here with the way my loaf came out I should next time reduce the liquid (water) by 2 T. Should this do the trick? I am in Kissimmee Florida so I am assuming it might be humidity even though it has not been warm.

Hi Karina- I was wondering if you knew anything about the bread machine on this page http://www.bread-maker.net/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=733- Breadman Ultimate Freedom 2 Pound Bread Maker- I have read from the posts on here that the machine you have is for a 1.5lb loaf and so you can't really use the GF option with the Pamelas breadmix because it is for a 2lb loaf. So since this Break maker makes a 2lb loaf and has a GF setting, do you know if it will work better than the one you have? I am looking at purchasing a machine and trying to find out what will be the best option. Thanks so much for all of your help and research and wisdom. What a blessing.

Hi Meri! yes, I'd try that. Two tablespoons less liquid- the applesauce is more a liquid than a fat, so that change could effect your flour to moisture ratio. And humidity is a big factor- flours grab moisyure from the air.

One more tip- don't leave bread in the pan- knock it out as soon as possible. The longer it sits in the pan, the moister it will get.

Sigh. Your original post is well over a year old. Will anyone see this?

I hope so! After all, I just found your post tonight. (I'm not a blogger or reader.) Perhaps some one else will too.

I came looking for information about bread machines for GF bread. GF Dad, I feel your pain!

We realized we were gluten intolerant 12 years ago. Then it was my 2yo and me. Now add my son.

I made GF bread by hand at first. Then a friend gave me her underused Breadman (BM). I had success, and I had failures (by hand and by machine). I even tested for a GF bread cookbook (always wanted to see my name in print! LOL).

After awhile, I gave up. There were so many failures. So much money in GF components. Loaves undone in the middle, or the bottom (vertical pan), caved in undone tops, beautiful rises and bakes that shrunk to 4x4 cubes when cooled. (btw, I live in SoCal near the ocean...dry winters, humid summers).

We found a store-bought bread that we loved. "Hearty" is a good word.

Two weeks ago I met the manufacturer, who told me it contained some gluten. We've used it at least 8 years. I was so bummed. Yet some small things with my DD digestion are already clearing!

Came home, plugged in my simple old Breadman. Made a loaf from Bob's Red Mill (BRM) Homemade Wonderful GF Bread Mix (blue label). Not fully cooked bottom, slightly sunken top, VERY light color. Same old, same old. Had used the "basic light" cyle, which is what I always used.

Made the same mix a few days later. Used "basic medium." This one fell a little on the top, the top crust was undercooked, and the bread had a light toasted color.

Got online, and started searching. Amazon.com has tons of user reviews. BE CAREFUL...many user post their comments under similar machines!

Was about the buy the Zojirushi X20 (the current model). I really want a normal shaped loaf, and thought 2 paddles would be best.

The huge number bad reports kept nagging at me. I went back to the Breadman line. esalton.com is down, and has been for a while (months!). Both BM and Zo's have tons of complaints about bad customer service, and early deaths (of the machine, that is). For $200, I expect to make a loaf of bread weekly (if on two) for at least 5 years before it dies. A BM...they can be cheaper, and easier replaced.

There are so many! And on eBay, you see old models (new products) sold REALLY cheap. What to do?

Brilliant idea last night LOOK AT THE MANUALS! A searching I went, digging up every BM manual I could find...found them all except the TR4000 (a $260 MSRP Ultimate DreaMachine).

WOW. What a difference. GF baking cycles HAVE NO RISE! Well, maybe 12 minutes. PULEASE. Yeast needs more than that! (Karina, I think this is why your 2lb mix worked, and created a smaller loaf.) AND if and only if GF cycles equal Quick Bread cycles, then why do I need a GF machine??? I realized what Karina has stated...you need a "dough" and a "bake." That's it. You add the "rise" (time).

Now, finding a BM that has both "dough" and "bake" does narrow down the field. As well as a horizontal pan (only the TR4000 has two paddles).

Made my DH a loaf of BRM Potato Bread (GLUTEN). Used "Basic Dark." Now that is a fine looking loaf! Great color...a rich golden brown. DOH! My heating element must be going!

Solution?1) What shape loaf do you want? Vertical are about 4x4 sides. Large slices (horizontal) for most sandwich bags. HUGE sandwiches.Semi-horizontal look like a normal loaf, and have one hook.Horizontal pans have two hooks. May be longer loaves, and some machines will make up to 2.5lb loaves. Read comments of users...if the hooks turn the same direction, you'll need to watch the process and smooth it out before baking for an even rise. (No "walk away and forget it" for GFers!)

2) Buy any bread machine you want that (for GF bread) has separate "Dough" and "Bake" cycles. (Generally, a 1 hour bake is enough for 1.5 lb. Adjust as necessary!)

3) Test the machine with the SAME RECIPE until you determine your bread machine is works like it should. THEN play with the recipe! (Whether built-in obsolesence or cheap manufacturing principles, not all of them work out of the box.)

4) READ the TIMING CHARTS in the manuals...online if you need to figure out which machine is for you. EVEN WITHIN THE BM LINE, there are HUGE differences as to how one machine runs the same cycle vs another BM machine! This is compounded when you try to compare a given line (BM, which has easily 10 parts to a cycle) to another manu...like Zo, or Panasonic.

5) Programmable machines? They are nice. You can record some of your settings into it for use again and again. Do they have a battery to remember the settings when you unplug the machine? I don't know (and sure hope so!) Different manufacturers have different definitions & options of "programming" EVEN WITHIN THEIR OWN LINE.

6) Preheat is a nice feature on newer models. Makes sure your ingredients are warm enough to maximize the yeast!

7) Because we have to use eggs and such, I've yet to meet a GFer who uses the "timer" (delay beginning) function on a bread machine. To me it is a useless function over which they make a big deal. Especially when the machine is so noisy (with churning and beeps) it will wake you up!

I lost last night's research earlier this evening (thank you IE 7!) I have a narrower list of BMs to check for availability. Hope I can find the 4000s manual...is it worth the cost? It's also very hard to find online. (With such high failure rates reported, and such lousy customer service from so many vendors, buying from a local store where you can easily return it makes a lot of sense. And, I wonder if Salton has been bought out by another company.)

WHERE TO FIND MANUALS: Keep in mind that sites change, and links break...

Best results: Google the model (not the manufacturer name!) and "manual." If necessary, add the word "bread." Look at the last page, or the baking cycle chart for the copyright date - and when the machine was made!

For Zo's, go to their website. www.zojirushi.com.

For many machines:http://www.megaheart.com/breadmachine_manuals.html andhttp://www.creativehomemaking.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=7.

For a Breadman TR700/600A (my 1995machine) the true PDF is here (I found this as a download link, not a hotlink. Since it is from esalton, I was stunned it work...the Lord is GOOD!) http://www.esalton.com/004c/img/Use_Care/TR700.pdf. (Otherwise, use the TR555 manual.)

All the best, and have a good laugh. Remember the machine vs manual makes a difference, the cycle make a difference, the mix makes a difference and your local weather makes a difference!

good morning Karina and fellow gluten free ites. Have recently bought a Sunbeam bread maker. There are six settings basic,whole wheat,sweet,french,cake and dough. Can someone help me out. tried a packet mix on the cake and basic settings. Results not good. Bread i need for my diet is gluten /yeast free. Kind regards.

Let me add my thanks to the chorus here for giving some inspiration and guidance to those living a GF lifestyle. My wife was encouraged by a friend of ours to go gluten free to see if it helped her lupus symptoms. She thought, "What the heck!" and hasn't regretted it. All her lupus symptoms disappeared and have not returned. In addition her Hashimoto's disease (thyroid condition associated with lupus) has also improved. I bought the Breadman to see if we could make some decent GF bread, despite the negative comments to the contrary. I'm proud to say we made our first loaf last night following many of the guidelines suggested in this blog and it turned out perfect! Like another poster above, we also used the "Red Mill" GF Mix (1.5 lbs).

Here's how we did it:

I warmed up the rice milk portion of the recipe in the microwave to around 105 degrees, and did the same with the butter. We had set out the eggs prior to get them to room temp. We mixed all the wet ingredients thoroughly and put them into the bread mold. Then we spooned in the GF "Red Mill" mix, made a small indentation in the top of the mix and poured in the yeast.

We used the #5 setting, "Super Rapid" because it allowed for rise time, which is something the Gluten Free setting did not. The first knead cycle was 2 minutes long. Then the second cycle begins (which lasts 18 minutes long). About 5-10 minutes into the 2nd cycle, we opened the lid and scraped the flour that stuck to the sides into the mix so it would mix thoroughly. After the 2nd knead cycle, I reopened the lid and used a plastic spatula to push the dough off to one side, and then I used a pair of kitchen tongs(plastic are better) to pull off the mixing paddle. After that we let the setting run it's course. After the Bake cycle had complete, we left it on the Keep Warm cycle for 5 additional minutes. We let cool about 25 minutes (my wife insisted we let it cool on it's side - not sure why here but she said it was suggested). The texture of the bread was soft and perfect! The only thing about the Red Mill brand is it uses a couple bean flours which have a different taste to them, but it was still good. We can't wait to try the "Millet" recipe from Gluten Free Mommy. Thanks again!

I have been gluten free for about 10 months. I found this blog looking for some new recipes. My old breadmakers teflon coating was "gone" so yesterday I searched the net for some reviews of bread machines.

I bought one for $42.00 at Wallmart--Sunbeam--yesterday I used the regular cycle(3 hours) and the bread came out fine. It has an express bake cycle-- I wonder if it is the same as that cycle on your machine. Itisonly an hour-the regular cycle is 3 rises-thos only one. I will try it today and let you know because the Sunbeam is more affordable form nay people and we don't need all the fancy settings, right?

It is annoying though to have the paddle ruin so many slices when the bread loaf is already small.

I ruined my kitchenaide mixer last month mixing a gluten free dough for pizza,(very upsetting!) so rather than go out and buy that again, I decided to stick with the breadmaker!(cheaper to replace!)

Oh, the challenges of being gluten free!

Mostly, when I make bread, I stick with a flour base of White rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca flour or rice flour,millet and potato starch.

When refrigerated the bread gets hard but softens up as soon as it is lightly toasted.I can share my recipe if anyone wants. I have kind of perfected it over the months. I have takent he good from all the recipes I have gathered. I see no reason to buy pre-made flours. My bread recipe makes great french toast!Thanks for this blog.

KarinaI was going to send an email but your site is so extensive I wasn't able to find that option. Anyway...I know you are are busy woman, but you are also the Goddess and therefor the woman I turn to for guidance! :)I use Pamela's Bread Mix and I am wanting to try a multigrain/seed bread. I am thinkin a couple of tablespoons each of coarse corn meal, oats, whole flax seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and cooked brown rice. I am wondring if you think I will need to alter the recipe to make this work.More water? More yeast? More egg replacer (probably not because of the flax, right)? I would really appreciate the advice of an expert! Thank you dearly.BTW if you would rather, my email is cgweber@bendbroadband.com

Has anyone tried to replace half of the oil in the Pamela's mix with applesauce? I use it in brownies and cookies and it works well. I prefer not to have so much fat in my bread...or the rest of my cooking for that matter. Thanks for any suggestions.

Okay, so I have a little GF 4 year old daughter who would like to eat sandwiches like everyone else (she hates all the GF store breads we have tried). So for her 5th birthday coming up my mom bought her the Breadman, and I just tried baking a loaf of Pamela's. Oh my goodness, first I tried to measure perfectly but the water went a tiny bit over the mark, so I poured out about a tablespoon only to read on that I was supposed to add two extra table spoons of water. Since I had read every comment in this post I decided to proceed without the extra water. I carefully spooned the dry ingredients and then the yeast on top. Then I noticed I had forgotten to put in the paddle. Doh! So I scooped out the yeast, reached through the muck and put in the paddle. Next, I poured yeast back on top and turned on the basic cycle (I figured I would try that first). I and my three children then took turns peeking in the top, which was going really well until my four year old hit the stop button about a half hour into the first rise. After that it didn't rise much at all, and when I tried to turn the machine back on it started to mix again. Yikes! We let it sit for about 15 more minutes and turned on the bake cycle thinking the bread might rise more as it baked. Wrong. I am sitting here looking at this bread and wondering how long to let it sit there suffering before I pull it out. I guess I can freeze it and give it a second life as stuffing.

So, tomorrow I will try again, but this time I will take GF Dad's advice and try the rapid rise yeast with the separate dough and bake cycles. I wish he had mentioned exactly how much to use for Pamela's mix. If anyone has tried this trick, and knows how much to use, please post.

I have not done much experimenting with the bread machine; Pamela's Amazing Wheat Free bread mix with sorghum tastes so good (and agrees with me) that I haven't spent time and energy trying out other recipes.

I also have been mixing it by hand and baking it in a cake pan since having to go egg-free.

I imagine you can add seeds and chopped nuts to any bread recipe. I'd start small- perhaps look up the ratios for a typical multi-grain flax bread recipe and use it as a guide.

Egg replacer should still work- flax jelly is what is used as an egg replacer; so if if you're simply adding flax seeds to the bread, this would not be an egg replacer.

As for subbing applesauce for fat- it works in cakes; why not bread? I'm wondering if a dash more liquid might be required?

Bread baking is so finicky. It depends upon the weather, humidity, temperatures, and whether or not you are using ingredients straight from the fridge (cold) or warm.

The size of your eggs.

The temperature of the dough affects the yeast's rise...etc.

Note that when using a 2 lb mix like Pamela's, you'll need to use a regular dough setting with either rapid rise or separate "rise" and "bake" times. The gluten-free cycle is a 1.5 lb loaf size. (It worked for me, but it is very dry here.)

I doubt there is any single correct answer- for each one of us it is a process of experimentation and sensitivity to the day (and how it all combines to influence the dough).

That's why bread making is an art not a science.

Trial and error and experimenting are the tools to get you where you want to go.

Any tips, of course, are always welcome...and BIG THANKS to all of you sharing your experiences and bread baking tips.

To clarify--- It is my understanding that if you use Pamela's mix (a 2 lb mix) in the Breadman you simply choose either Rapid Cycle or the separate "rise" and "bake" cycles because they are designed for a 2 lb. loaf (or allow you to bake a 2 lb loaf).

It worked for me- I did not take out any of the mix- I made a 2 lb. loaf.

The GF cycle is for a 1.5 lb. loaf only. So if you want to use the GF cycle as is, you'll need a 1.5 lb mix.

Since I can't use Pamelas (it hurts my stomach) I devised a bread recipe using the Breadman Country White Bread recipe from the manual. It comes out perfect everytime with a nice crust. I also reduce the fat.

This works on the Gluten-Free 1 1/2 pound cycle, med color usualy is nice and crusty, dark is a bit too crusty for me.

All ingredients should be room tempwater as stated tempcombine all the first 4 ingredients and add as the wet ingredients to the breadpan first.Then combine the next 6 (not the yeast) and add to breadpan.Make a little hole in the top of the dry ingreadients (not deep enough to touch the wet ingredients) and add the yeast in the hole.Put the pan in the machine and start her up!!Scrape the sides with a rubber spatula as needed.

I make baggies of the dry ingredients and keep them in my freezer. Just don't sift them but measure them carefuly without packing them. Measure accurately going accross the measuring cups with a flat edged butter knife.This recipe works best with very very accurate measurements.

Let me us know if anybody gives it a try :)

btw I am in Kissimmee Florida and I have made this recipe in both the winter (dryer) and summer here (HUMID) with the same results. I don't know if its because in the summer the air condidioner is ALWAYS on... LOL :)

So I tried the machine out again today with Pamela's mix and this time was a homerun! I used GF Dad's suggestion of replacing the yeast packet from the mix with two packets of rapid rise yeast. I also used separate dough and bake cycles. The dough puffed up to the top and then I baked it on light for an hour and 20 minutes. I just set the bake cycle for the 2lb loaf and then pushed the up arrow for 20 more minutes, and hit start. That was it.

The bread passed the ultimate test, that is my four year old who hasn't eaten bread since she was two and therefore can't remember and doesn't long for bread as most celiacs. She actually ate the bread as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and asked for seconds. This is a child that won't eat anything! If that isn't proof, I don't know what is. My gluten-eating kids also taste tested it and said it tasted like regular wheat bread. Amazing!

Thank you to all the comments posted here to achieve this amazing "real" bread.

My bread machine is old and doesn't really bake any more. I just tried using it to mix only and then transfered the dough to a bread pan and baked in the oven for 65 minutes. I achieved excellent results, even here in Florida in the summer. I was using Bob's Red Mill GF bread mix. The uncooked dough was very wet so I lined the pan with parchment paper. This was my very first GF bread and I am really pleased with the result!

Hi Karina, I love your site. You are an inspiration to everyone.I have the other Breadman machine with the gluten free cycle. I have had the same problems with it not baking completely. It is progamable and I found times to program to the Zojirushi at GlutenFreeBaking.com. 1. Set the preheat opion for 10 min.2. Set the knead cycle for 18 min.3. Turn off the first and second rise.4. Set the third rise for 1 hour.5. Set the bake cycle for 1 hour 10 min.6. Turn off the warm cycle.

I have used these settings for Gluten Free Pantry's Favorite Sandwich bread with wonderful results but have not yet tried with Pamela's bread mix.

AFter reading (I think) all the comments, and using my new breadman twice, i've come to post my story.

I have been trying to make rolls and bread for my gfcf son for school. I cant eat bread because i'm allergic yeast, among (many) other thigs. I was having some success with the Basic Sandwhich Bread recipe from Annalise Robert's Gluten-Free baking classics with only very slight variations. However, every time I baked .. . i was sick the whole next day . . . presumably from the yeast exposure.

So i decided to buy the fancy-schmancy bread machine. I did do 1-and-1/2 recipe, since its a 1 lb recipe. After reading all of your comments, I decided to just use the gluten free setting, then measure the temp of the bread(with my quick-read thermometer purchased just for bread) - if the bread wasnt 200, i would then put it on the bake cycle for 15 minutes. Seemed like a great solution.

First try . .. well, temp was 200 when it beeped, so i took out the pan, gently dumped it upside down . .. shook it a few times . . . and out fell a loaf of bread with a huge tear in the middle. It sagged a bit while cooling on its side .. .and the texture was a little hole-y. . . but overall, a nice loaf, still much better than the store-bought $7 loaves.

So i tried again today. I slightly decreased liquid and slightly increased xanthan. At the beginning of the (not-in-the-manual) rise cycle, I whipped out the plastic-coated tongs I bought just for this use . .. and couldnt get the paddle to come out. I ended up with my hands deep in the bowl of batter, covered with yeasty nasties way past my wrists . . . took me minutes to wash up. I felt nauseated right away. The loaf, however, was 200 when it beeped, held its nice square shape, and had a smaller grain. However, there were some hard spots . . maybe because the milk was too hot when the eggs hit it, idk.

There was still a very small rip on the bottom of the loaf. It made a big difference. However, i'm going to have to stick w making bread when someone else is home to dig out the paddle, or settle for shredded sandwitches for the picky boy . . .

Thanks for the recomendation, tho, definitely dont get sick when i keep my hands out of the dough!

My daughter is 18 months and has CD. So her dad and I are now GF eaters too. i have made the Whole Foods GF Sandwich Bread mix successfully by hand a couple of times, but the mixing is a little difficult with the handheld mixer i own. i decided i should try a bread machine since i will be making a lot of bread...i can't live without my sandwiches. after reading the comments on this site I'm not so sure a breadmachine is the way to go. it seems like more work (and money with all the trial and error) than making it by hand! i am a little concerned that my mixer is going to burn out...any suggestions on a good one that can handle the GF dough?

Hi Anon- It's actually a lot less work to use a bread machine- you just have to have to match the mix you like with the method that works fr its particular size. Discussing it is more complicated than doing it!

Is the Whole Foods mix for 1.5 or 2 pounds? Instructions for both sizes are above, at the end of my post.

That said, if you want to use a mixer, a standing mixer is the way to go (hand held mixers will burn out). KitchenAid makes a good one; there are others. They're not cheap. But they ought to last a lifetime.

I registered for this bread machine at Target recently. My fiance wanted to register for a cheaper one (sans GF cycle), but I knew that I had read about this one somewhere and that it was the one I wanted. I should have known it was from your blog!

I was diagnosed a week before Thanksgiving last year with Dermatitis Herpetiformis, and your blog has been a godsend. As a college student living on campus, it was not an easy adjustment. I'm not a frequent commenter, but I just wanted to say thanks for making this girl's diagnosis a little easier to deal with.

Hey Karina, that bread does look amazing! We all went GFCF this summer for my two ASD boys, and it's so nice to have lots of options for bread substitutes.

I was wondering about the significance of a GF bread machine vs a regular one. I got a bread machine for a wedding gift but never used it alot (takes up too much countertop space & makes awkward sized loaves). Does it really make that much difference? I have used it once for GFCF bread, using Bob's Red Mill GF Hearty Whole Grain Bread Mix (BRM is the most available GF brand around here). I liked it except for the caraway seeds (YUCK!), so next time I might try sifting those out first. (My boys didn't like it, either, & I think the caraway seeds are the reason.) I also have a bag of BRM GF Homemade Wonderful Bread mix, which I will probably make by hand unless I can get someone to buy me that lovely machine you have! :D

I use Pamela's and am also allergic to eggs, it took me a long time to perfect the mix without eggs but I finally realized the bread machine just won't cut it. You need to mix it really well in a KitchenAid style mixer for at least 3 minutes before letting it rise. Best in a bread pan in the oven (dark, not glass).

The best thing about this is that I make two mixes at the same time time and use the leftovers to shape hamburger and hot dog buns. Or cinnamon rolls (shh!).

You can see the egg-free directions at my blog here: http://youlostbaby.blogspot.com

I'm so glad I found your site. My husband is gluten-intolerant and loves Pamela's bread mix. I also have the Breadman breadmaker featured here. I bought it chiefly for the gluten-free cycle. Sadly, the first time I made Pamela's in it, the loaf would've served better as a doorstop than as a loaf of bread. So I've been using the regular cycle since then. I'm glad you posted how to make the GF cycle work for those who've had problems. I'll have to give it another try.

My wife developed a wheat allergy during her (ongoing) pregnancy. We're trying GF recipes as they seem to help.

We've been buying the Ezekiel bread but it's killing our budget, and the mixes online don't seem to be much less expensive.

I'm searching for (sandwich bread) recipes for my breadmaker, and would really appreciate any direction you'all can provide. I've looked on this site and the only one I could find is the one in the posts above.

Thanks for your site. Several have asked about using their old bread machine?? I have not seen you answer that question, but since some are using the regular bread baking cycle, can I use that and make GF bread?? Nancy

To Thomas ( and All!)re- bread machine recipeI agree about buying mixes that end up being just as expensive as buying a ready made loaf. NOT ideal!Here is a link to my bread machine recipe, which my family loves- even the kids, who can eat gluten!! http://amsuka.blogspot.com/As for buying the ingredients, I get mine at Bulk stores, in Chinatown, or at Health food stores. If you cant find Teff flour, simply use half rice and half tapioca flour. Happy Baking!!

Thanks to Everyone above for all the tips and ideas- I appreciate your sharing.

Christinal30- Thanks so much! I think both GF and regular style bread machines will work- it all depends upon your preferred bread loaf size, chosen mix, etc. It's so individual.

If you like Pamela's Wheat Free Bread Mix, make sure you have a selection choice for a 2 lb. loaf.

Anon- Glad the Cuisinart machine works. Thanks for sharing.

Bella- I'm working on this- an egg-free GF bread. It's not usually recommended in a bread machine; I make round loaves in cake pans- so far... Still experimenting.

Amber- Thanks for the tips!

Peggy- it's trial and error usually, until you figure out the exact recipe/mix/cycle that works for you and your machine. Bread is so finicky. Good luck!

Thomas- Welcome- and sorry I don't have a scratch recipe for a bread machine, per se. Have you tried Pamela's mix? It really is delicious. You can buy the mix in bulk, too- saves $. Check out my Amazon Store for bulk prices.

Nancy- I hesitate to tell anyone to use their old machine, due to possible cross contamination issues. If it were me I'd replace the baking pan. Or sell the old one at a yard sale and buy a new one. Not cheap to do. But probably the safest choice.

Thanks, Amity Sue!

Jen- Softer edges? Does your machine have a light crust choice? It sounds as if maybe the loaf is cooked too long/too high a temp? Not sure. Also maybe not enough fat? Are you using a mix- or making your own? Does it have a dab of honey or agave (helps moisture)?

We just bought this bread machine and tried the gluten-free recipe that is in the manual, two times. Both times the bread did not rise at all and came out heavy as a brick and doughy in the middle; totally inedible. I looked more closely at the manual and the gluten-free cycle does not include any time for rising, just two kneading cycles and baking (total time 1 hour 17 minutes). Do you know what we might be doing wrong? Should we use the recipe in the manual but chose a different setting rather than the gluten-free setting? Thanks, Tammy

I have an old bread machine that I have never used. I am pretty certain it doesn't have a gluten free cycle. Is there any way at all to make gluten free bread in it anyway????? I know you said it doesn't have to be kneaded. FRUSTRATED.

My husband's cousins and their children have gluten intolerance (and one of them is also allergic to dairy products and soy... nightmare). Every year they come to us for a pre-Christmas party and for me it's a matter of pride to have everything I serve edible by everybody.

I was thinking of trading my (very) old Panasonic Bread Bakery in for a new one with a gluten free program, but I read a newspaper article in which one person said that she's had better results using the regular bread program.

So I used the recipe on the side of the packet of gluten free bread flour, on the regular (4 hour) cycle on my machine, and it came out very well. I had to scrape down the sides of the pan a few minutes after the mixing cycle started, because the gluten free flour is much finer and lighter than wheat flour and flies around a bit, but apart from that no attention was needed.

I can't say that it would be possible to mistake the result for wheat bread, but it rose and it tasted good.

I do have problems with the hole in the bottom from the paddle, though - I understand that the newer models have retractable paddles.

so after reading all these posts do I really need to by a bread machine that has a gluten free cycle?My older bread machine has a extreme rapid cycle that kneads for 15 min, final rise 16min, bake 28 Toal time 59 min and keep warm for 180min.could i use that?Or can the gluten free mixture or package go on the regular cycle set for 2 lbs.(kneaded down 2 times, the punched down for final rise of 60 min, baked 60min, total time 330min.

I was going to buy a new machine but im real confused on what these gluten mixes need. the red mill package says "pick manufacturers recommendation or your favorite setting."

my 4 year old just diagnosed and I cant stand the breads I bought. Thanks for any help.

I just bought a Cuisnart Convection Breadmaker - it has a gluten-free setting. I made several loaves using chia seed slurry (I'll explain this in a minute) and they turned out absolutely amazing! Chia seeds are little seeds that have a coating that makes a glutinous (though gluten-free) gel-like substance when soaked in water. I take two tablespoons of chia seeds and put them in a glass with one and a half cups of water (the amount needed for my bread recipe). I stir the seeds a couple of times and let them sit for 15 minutes (stir once every five minutes). The mixture will be thick and jello-like. Then I give this mixture a whirl in my magic bullet - blending it really well so that it turns white and frothy (which takes about 2 minutes of pulsing/blending). This is called a chia slurry. The slurry is then put in the recipe in place of milk, juice or water. It causes gluten-free baked goods to have a glutinous texture - moist, bouncy, soft and more like real bread than anything I've tasted since I've been gluten-free. Moreover, chia seeds are said to be a "super food" that contains a really high quality protein, lots of calcium, lots of fibre and a whole long list of other essential nutrients. It can be used to replace flour, eggs or liquids, depending on how you prepare it. Everyone on a gluten-free diet should at least investigate this food because it can transform our cooking and baking!

Sorry it took me awhile to get around to these comments. I need an assistant. ;)

Shellythemachine- [David Mamet fan? Yay.] As for your question- no, in the grand scheme of things a gluten-free cycle is a rapid cycle because you don't need the extended rise time with a GF bread. If the machine has a rapid cycle, it should work. Or you could always do the mix cycle; a quick rise; and then bake, manually. Hope that helps.

Anon and Google- I have not investigated the retractable paddles. I imagine a browse through Amazon's bread machines might reveal which models have that feature.

Kelly- Store bought GF breads are rather unsatisfying. I agree. I think you should try the rapid cycle approach. I did it in an older machine a few years back- it worked.

Main trick is- the recipe/mix should match the size of the cycle the machine features, such as 1.5 lb loaf, 2 lb loaf, etc.

My opinion is sorghum blends taste the best.

Sarah- Chia seeds? Interesting. What botanical family do they belong to? I'm allergic to flax/linseed. Thanks for the tip- I'm very interested in this, as I can not use eggs in my breads.

Yvonne- I allow the loaf to cool completely. Then I slice and freeze the slices in sandwich size bags - 2 to 4 slices per bag; then I bag the small bags in a large freezer bag.

Thank you everyone! My machine arrived and I had Pamela's ready to go. After reading through the comments, I made sure all the ingredients were at room temp, used rapid rise yeast instead and less liquid. It was easier than I thought - used dough and then bake settings. I pushed down the dry stuff with a spatula during the mixing and then just let it go. Used the medium setting and added 10 minutes. The loaf is perfect. I may add another 10 minutes or might leave it in longer on warm to finish drying out a bit. Will have to experiment, but it was fantastic. Looked like your photo, Karina, and is perfect for sandwiches. Thanks to everyone for your help, espc. GF Dad. Bread! Yay!

I got my Breadmaker yesterday - the same model Karina has. The book said to run an empty pan so while that was running took all the stuff out of the fridge to get to room temp. Bob's Red Mill is across town from me so is mostly what's in the stores here. I had a package of his bread mix. I followed the instructions, put the machine on the GF setting and ended up with a beautiful tall cooked all the way through loaf of bread that you would never guess was GF. I'm almost at sea level and it has been dry lately.I did have to scrape some of the flour off the sides of the pan, most was in one corner early in the cycle but other than that no problems. I'm glad I made the loaf before coming on here so as not to get discouraged in bakeing the bread. I am a beginner cook, before diagnosis last year I cooked out of boxes.Going through all the posts - another Jen said her's had hard edges. On the top of my loaf was one spike that almost stabbed my finger when I grabbed the loaf after it had cooled a few minutes.

I got my bread machine and Pamela's mix a few days ago, and ventured to make my first loaf yesterday. I just followed the directions on the back of the packet and did the loaf on the regular (not gluten free) setting it recommends. It came out great! You have no idea how happy I was. My son has been on a gf/cf diet for a couple of years now and it's been difficult to keep up with the rising costs of specialty/allergy friendly foods. Plus the store bought bread NEVER had the taste that Pamela's bread has. Finally, a GF bread that actually tastes as good as the 'real' thing! Thank you so much for the suggestions; I can't wait to experiment with the recipe variations!

I have never had a bread machine or a stand mixer and I've been making gf bread successfully for almost 9 years. I have a 225 watt hand mixer that's done fine for everything including cookie dough most of those 9 years. Of course I've had my klunkers, as it sounds like most who have tried the bread machines have had. So, I want to encourage those who, especially in these harder times, can't afford a kitchen appliance not to give up on bread. My hand mixer works fine. (Sometimes I just mix my bread dough by hand with a large spoon. It's hard work, but really develops the arm muscles!)

I've tried two of the bread recipes on this blog with my own non-bread machine technique and they are quite good. Thanks for developing them. Of course I tweak! My favorite add-ins are teff flour for the color and nutrition, and whole raw millet for the crunch.

Whatever choices you make about appliances, best of luck with your breadmaking, the biggest challenge of going gluten-free.

mcgelligot - I find I have to check the mixing and use a soft spatula to scrape the flour off the sides so it incorporates into the dough. The reason for this is that gluten-free flours are so fine and powdery.

Lulu- Yay- so glad! Thanks for stopping back to let me know.

Jennifer- and Ivy--

Thanks for the reports- and hope you're trying out some of the new recipes I've come up with for this machine. I love the ryeless rye and the new multi-grain sandwich bread, too.

Carolcamille- Does your machine have a crust or color setting? It should. Choose Light if the Medium is too dark...

Hello Karina, my name is Dale. I am not a full blown Celiac. I have DH, which appeared about 5 years ago after a heart valve replacement. So far, no other allergies. I am 79. May have had it for years and it was dormant.Just signed up today.I really don't have a hard time cooking for my wife and myself. She can have anything, but I do the cooking.I have two bread machines, one here in Indiana (new, square-Sunbeam) and one in Florida (Old, round, DAK).Both work great.My only problem is getting decent slices. Too thin, too thick, or worse too crooked. I bought a plastic frame from Amazon, but it is worthless.Have you found a good way to get even slices?I use alot of Bob's Red Mill, Glutino, and Pamela mixes. The little independent store here carries Bob’s and Glutino and more items everyday. I live in a town of three hundred and shop in a town of about 8k.PS: My Pam bread mix says Don't Use gluten free setting. I have seen this on other sites, is why I bought a Sunbeam at Wal-Mart

Saw today that Breadman's model TR-875 2# loaf is on sale at Amazon, and read the reviews there regarding the gluten free cycle. Is this the model you have, if so would you still recommend it, or is there another you favor after your first initial shot back in 2006?

I really need some advice. I have just bought my first gluten free bread flour to use in my old bread machine. I followed the receipe on the Dovers Farm packet and although the bread has turned out good, it is very sweet (2 tblsps). Do you have any suggestions on how I can keep the consistency, yet reduce its sweetness. Thank you

I've tried reading the posts here but time hasn't allowed me to read all of them. I think I'm going to buy a breadm/c and now have to figure out which one. My son has gluten sensativity and is doing better on GF diet. I have seen different comments on the GF cycle on the m/c's. Is it good to go with a m/c that has one? Or is it better not to use it?

My friend loves the m/c that she uses: Zojirushi Home Bakery Supreme. She loves that it has a memory. I don't think it has a GF cycle-is that a big deal...plus is it worth the extra $120?

Hi all,I have discovered that if you disolve your yeast in some warm water with about 1/2 tsp sugar, and let it "proof" for about 5 min, the loaf comes out much better in a standard old style breadmaker. After the yeast mixture starts to show a little foaming, add your eggs, oil, and enough extra water to make up the entire liquid needed. (I include the extra 2 tbsp water that most recipes specify) Pour into breadmaker pan, then add Pamela's bread flour mix (awesome stuff). I also scrape sides of bread pan during the mixing stage to incorporate all dry ingredients into the dough. Then bake on dark setting and you get a perfect loaf with a flaky top crust which you will all fight over! My daughter used Pamela's to make a yeast pizza dough and it came out perfect!

Big thanks to everyone who has generously contributed to the gluten-free bread machine discussion! You rock. xox

For those looking for yeast-free bread ideas- I might suggest---

Start with a soda bread recipe. Soda breads and quick breads rely on baking powder and baking soda for rise. If you cannot do vinegar (adding a touch of acid helps the bread rise) use lemon juice.

Eggs (and whipped egg whites) will also help a bread rise.

I baked a lovely pumpkin bread in this machine recently (three times!) and used only baking powder and baking soda leavening (with an acid) and an egg replacer. I've never tried a savory quick bread in this- I usually use a round cake pan for soda breads.

Key is to keep an eye on it and if it needs extra baking time to cook the center, stop the cycle and start up only the Bake cycle; put on a timer and check it after 5-7 minutes. It may even take longer, depending upon your altitude and humidity, etc...

Hi Karina, I have a Breadman, and have made very good plain bread with it. Do you know of a gluten-free banana bread recipe??? I made loaves using recipes I found on a web site. They turned out doughy inside, and I baked 20 minutes longer, still was not fit to eat. Help!!

I may be a bit behind, but I'm so glad there is finally a gluten-free settings on bread machines! I've tried cooking gluten-free bread in my mum's 'regular' bread machine and it didn't work. From my brief research online it looks like the differences with the gluten-free bread setting on bread makers deal with the weight of gluten free bread; try using the largest paddle your machine comes with. Also, use the 'rapid' cycle for the fastest mixing. Good luck with the new Sunbeam Breadmaker.

The primary difference in a regular bread cycle and a gluten-free cycle is the mix/rise/punch down/rise/bake cycle. Gluten-free "dough" only requires one rise (there's no gluten to develop).

Rapid cycles with only one rise can work.

Match the recipe/mix with the proper loaf size- 1.5 or 2 lb. loaf.

It's best to choose a darker crust setting, too.

Note: If you suspect the gluten-free loaf is uncooked or soft in the center don't despair- remove it from the bread machine pan and place it directly on a rack in the oven; bake it at 350 degrees F for an additional ten minutes or so, till crusty.

I just made Pamela's Amazing Wheat-Free Bread and I must say, it is absolutely divine! Thank you so much for the suggestion!! I have missed bread dearly since going gf. This bread was the answer to my prayers!

I am new to GF, but have found a wonderful recipe for homemade bread (no mixes) that can be made by hand or in a bread machine. It's Gluten Free Millet Oatmeal Bread. It's very sticky in the making but tastes wonderful. I found it on the gluten free mommy blog. www.glutenfreemommy.com There are some additional modifications recommended on glutenfreegobsmacked.com.

It says to mix dough in mixer for 10 minutes. I did not find it necessary to mix that long. Having room temp. ingredients made a big difference. I also had good luck using Hodgson Mill Active Dry Yeast packets, 5/16 oz (more than a normal yeast packet). I have an archaic WestBend bread machine with no way to divide the dough and bake cycles. To prepare the mix in the machine I put all of the wet ingredients in (no melted butter, I left it solid for the bread machine). I proofed the yeast separately as if I was doing it by hand and then dumped it on top of the wet. I topped it all with the dry ingredients that I pre-whisked together in a bowl. I needed to poke the mixture after turning the machine on to help it incorporate. I needed WAY less water than a cup in both the hand and machine recipes. The machine went through the usual 2 rise cycle {set at regular loaf, light crust} and my loaf still came out tall and fluffy. The recipe says it makes a 10 inch loaf or two 8 inch loaves. I only found it to make about one normal size loaf.

Thank you all for your participation in this lively discussion. Comments to this thread are now closed. If you seek help- browse the discussion above- there are many excellent suggestions, tips and tricks regarding gluten-free bread machine baking.